LAUREL, Md. (AP) — Ocelli, Incredibolt and Robusta were the only three horses to race in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes this year.
They did little to suggest more should have tried the two-week turnaround that has become such a flashpoint in Triple Crown conversations.
Ocelli was fourth, Incredibolt fifth and Robusta ninth in Saturday's Preakness at Laurel Park. None of them was much of a threat on a day when winner Napoleon Solo was near
the lead the whole way.
“Speed held. Pretty simple,” said Whit Beckman, Ocelli's trainer. “It didn’t come back. He ran a good fourth with a pace that seemed to hold on. Can’t be upset with that.”
Ocelli (7-1) and Incredibolt (5-1) were considered contenders after finishing third and sixth in the Derby, but both were trying to come from behind in this race and weren't all that close to pulling it off. Expectations were lower for Robusta (28-1) after a 14th-place showing in the Derby.
“They went fast. We had one horse beat. It looked like down the backside he was traveling comfortably enough, but I guess it was obviously too much to do,” said Riley Mott, Incredibolt's trainer. “He gave us a mild run, but he never threatened to hit the board.”
Derby winner Golden Tempo was held out of this race, which led to the latest round of chatter about whether the Triple Crown schedule should be changed to allow a longer break between the Derby and Preakness. If Ocelli, Incredibolt or Robusta had won Saturday, that may have impacted that discussion, but it didn't happen.
Al Gold, Napoleon Solo's owner, was blunt when asked about the possibility of altering the schedule.
“It’s a great idea,” he said. “Tradition is dead. Nobody wants to run in two weeks. More horses is the best thing. That’s it.”
Still, Beckman didn't seem to regret trying with Ocelli.
“We ran a great fourth,” he said. “We’ll take that all day.”
Great White, who was scratched from the Derby when he threw his jockey just before the race began, was able to race in the Preakness without incident. He finished eighth as a 9-1 shot.
“We broke good. Got a good trip. Settled mid-pack, traveling very good,” jockey Alex Achard said. “He started picking it up at the three-eighths (pole) and I thought he had something, but through the stretch he didn’t make his run.”
___
AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
